September 30, 2010

Graphene is a derivation of graphite, which in turn comes from carbon. Basically, graphite comes from stacked sheets of carbon, and graphene is made of one-atom-thick separated graphite sheets, which form a honeycomb crystal structure. Graphene has some pretty incredible properties: It conducts electricity better than any other known material at room temperature and exhibits a startling amount of strength, given its 2D structure. A bit of graphene the same thickness as plastic wrap would require 2.5 tons of force to puncture it.

Kane then set them spinning using a light beam that is circularly polarised, meaning it passes its momentum to objects in its path. As a result, the flakes started spinning at 60 million rotations per minute, faster than any other macroscopic object.

It’s not really clear that there are any particular uses for this discovery, but graphene has shown nothing but promise so far, so further research on its spin speed could well lead to scientists stumbling onto something great.

Not really clear?!? I have one good particular use for it: because it’s frickin’ awesome. 60 million RPM? That’s nothing, they say. Apparently this may only be 1/1000th it’s possible top speed. Insane.

September 27, 2010

Scientists and the public get excited about extraterrestrial methane because it’s usually produced one or two ways — through volcanic eruptions and biological processes. It is prevalent in the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus, and more recently, scientists figured out it also exists (with some interesting variation) on Saturn’s moon Titan.

Chemical processes could also produce methane, such as carbon dioxide combining with melted water beneath the surface.

Though detection of methane is not a smoking gun for life, changes in the presence of methane are intriguing. Methane breaks down in ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which means something on Mars is replenishing it.

This is just astounding. I tried my hand at a radar-measured pitch a few years ago. I thought “well, I’m a fairly big and coordinated guy. I’ll bet I can get to 60mph”. Yeah, right. I was barely able, with all my might, to break 40. 100+mph for 25 consecutive pitches is just incredible.

September 22, 2010

Instead of telling the rest of us that we’re all bigots, shouldn’t Kristof and the rest of the journalism profession be outraged by what has happened to Molly Norris? And shouldn’t they be angered that her government believes it cannot protect her? Imagine what they would be saying if white-hooded members of the Ku Klux Klan were threatening to kill Norris in Selma, Ala., instead of radical Muslims in Seattle. Would the FBI tell Norris she had to stop being a journalist and go into hiding? And would ASNE and SPJ look the other way as the First Amendment and freedom of the press were symbolically turned to ashes by flaming white crosses?

A growing chorus of voices: Virginians calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose an Amendment that would empower the states to check the actions of the federal government, thus restoring some of the lost power of the states and checking the rampant growth of federalism.

When unfunded mandates, insurmountable debt, and unconscionable spending have mortgaged our children’s and grandchildren’s futures, it is not only the right, but the duty of the states to use every tool at their disposal to restore the republic…

There are risks associated with action, but history has shown there are times when the cost of inaction is far greater. Our founders risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor because they understood the alternative was far worse — no longer being free men.

Today we face the same risk: We are no longer free and sovereign states.

,,,We need an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that will allow the repeal of any act of Congress or regulation when two-thirds of the states agree to the repeal.